Can-inverting device for can-washing machines



July 16, 1929. T-T N 172L255 CAN INVERTING DEVICE FOR CAN WASHING MACHINES Filed Dec. 30, '1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I ATTORNEY Jufly 15, 1929. w, MITTON 1,721,255

CAN INVERTING DEVICE FOR CAN WASHING MACHINES Filed Dec. 30, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 LIELI W. E. MITTON July 16, 1929.

CAN INVERTING DEVICE FOR CAN WASHING MACHINES Filed Dec. 50, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 W. E. MITTON July 16, 1929 CAN INVERTING DEVICE FOR CAN WASHING MACHINES 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 50

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w. E. M lTTON CAN INVERTING DEVICE FOR CAN WASHING MACHINES Filed Dec 30, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 gap? A TTORNEQ Patented July 165, 192%..

MET SaTTEST FFEQ.

WILLIAM E. MITTON, OF NEW LONDON, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE BORDEN COM- PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CAN- INVERTING DEVICE FOR CAN-WASHING MACHINES.

Application filed December 30, 1927. Serial No. 243,520.

The invention relates to an improvement in can inverting devices for can washing machines.

In the development of the industry of handling raw fresh milk received from the farmers in large cylindrical tin cans the constant effort has been to make the operations of emptying the milk cans and cleaning them as nearly automatic as possible. At many milk receiving stations-the cans are inverted manually to dump the milk into the tanks and then the cans are placed upside down in the washing machine. Many efforts have been made, however, to associate with the can washmg machine a device for automatically inverting the can of milk and then feeding the empty can into the washing machine. The object of the present invention is to produce a simple and efiicient. device of this character. To this end the invention consists in the improved can inverting device hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of the invention, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the forward end of a can washing machine of usual construction, showing the application of the can inverting device of the present invention thereto; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional plan (on an enlarged scale) taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a top plan of the parts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of the can inverting device, illustrating its mode of operation; Fig. 6 is a front elevation, partly in section, of the driving mechanism; Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail in plan of the clutch of the driving mechanism; Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section through the parts shown in Fig. 7 and I Fig. 9 is a section taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

The can washing machine to which the improved can inverting device of the present invention is "adapted to be applied may be of any usual or preferred construction. The machine shown comprises a frame work consisting of the spaced uprights 10 and 11, the longitudinally arranged bars 12, the lower cross-pieces 13 and the upper cross-pieces 14.

On the lower cross-pieces 13 are so )ported the longitudinally arranged mem ers 15 which constitute the can run along which the cans are intermittently advanced for the washing operations by the can engaging fingers 16 mounted on a reciprocating frame work consisting of the bars 17 and arranged to be actuated by the arm 18 mounted on the lower part of an upright oscillatory shaft 19. On the upper end of the shaft 19 is mounted an arm 20 which is connected with the reciprocatory member 21 for intermittently advancing the covers along the runway 22, supported from the upper cross-pieces 14, in timed relation with the advance of the cans along the runway 15. As usual in machines of this character the. corresponding can and cover move through the Washing machine synchronously so that when each can is discharged at the other end of the machine it will receive its proper cover. A can of usual form is indicated at 24 in Fig. 5 and its cover by the dotted lines 25 in Fig. 2. The main body part of the can is cylindrical and the upper part of the can is contracted into a neck portion 26 into which the cylindrical. part 27 of the cover fits. The improved can inverting device cornprises a cradle, generally indicated at 28, and consists of a semi-cylindrical part 29 shaped to receive snugly one side of the cylindrical part of the can. The part 29 of the can inverting cradle 28 is supported by the two diverging arms 30 fastened on the inner ends of the shafts 31 and 32 journaled in the bearings 33 secured to the front side of the left hand uprights 10 and 11. When the cradle 28 is in normal can receiving position, as indicated in Fig. 5, the semi-cylindrical part 29 thereof occupies an oblique position facing the discharge end of a conveyor 35 provided with the rolls 36 over which the filled cans travel by gravity, or aided by the Workman, onto the part 29 of the cradle 28. As the can moves onto the part 29 of the cradle 28 the lower end of the front side of the can is received and held by the supporting fingers 37 projecting inwardly rom the outer ends of the side pieces 38 of the part 29. Before the can reaches the cradle 28 the workman removes the cover therefrom and at the proper time in the sequence of operations places it on the cover run 22 so that it may be advanced through the washing machine with its can.

As the can 24 moves onto the cradle 28 the front side thereof engages with a downwardly and forwardly directed arm 39 fastened on the middle of a shaft 40 journaled at its ends in the bearings -11 formed on the lower ends of the arms 42 extending downwardly from the bearings 33. The engagement of the arm 39 by the can 24 causes the shaft 40 to be turned in a counter-clockwise direction, viewing Figs. land 5, and thereby connects the driving mechanism with the means for oscillating the cradle 28 to invert the can and actuate the can and cover advancing means. For this purpose the right hand end of the shaft 40 (viewing Fig. 2) is provided with a rearwardly extending arm 44 the outer end of which is connected with the lower end of a link 45 the upper end of which is connected with the arm 46 of a bell crank pivoted at 47 on the upper part of the frame of the machine. The outer end of the other arm 48 of the bell crank is connected by a link 49 with the arm 50 of a bell crank 51 pivoted in the upper end of a bracket 52 rising from the upper part of a housing 53 resting on the top of the forward end of the frame of the machine. The other arm 54 of the bell crank 51 is connected by a link 55 with the upper end of a bar 56 slidingly received in the part 57 of the housing 53. The bar 56 functions to connect the driving mechanism with and disconnect it from the can inverting device and the operating parts of the washing machine.

The driving mechanism comprises a worm gear 59 mounted to turn freely on a shaft 60 journaled at its ends in the bearings 61 formed in the side walls of the housing 53.'

The. worm gear 59 is constantly driven by a worm 62 mounted on a shaft 63 which projects through the front wall of the housing 53 and carries on its forward end a sprocket wheel 64 over-which passes one end of a chain 65 the other end of which passes over a sprocket mounted on the shaft 66 of a motor 67 supported on the upper part of the forward end of the machine.

The clutch mechanism for connecting the.

worm gear 59. with the shaft 60 to actuate the cradle 28 comprises the bar 56 and a key68 arranged to slide in a spline formed in the shaft 60 and which terminates at one end in the front side of the hub 69 of the Worm gear 59 and at the other end in a collar 70 fixed on the shaft 60. A spring 71 acts to force the rear end of the key 68 into the notch in the hub 69 of the .worm gear 59. The outer face of the key 68 is provided with a cam surface 7 2 adapted to be engaged by the correspondlng cam surface 73 formed on the lower end of the bar 56. The arrangement is such that when the incoming can 24 strikes the arm 39 and thereby oscillates the shaft 40, the bar 56 1s lifted and permits thespring 70 to force the rear end of the key 68 into engagement with the worm gear 59. As the cradle 28 oscillates, thereby freeing the can from the arm 39, the latter returns to normal position under the action of gravity on it and on the parts connected therewith, and the bar 56 is lowered to brin the cam surface 73 thereof into the path 0 rotation of the cam surface 72 of the key'68 to disconnect the latter from the Worm gear 59 and stop the parts driven thereby when they have completed one cycle of operations.

On the right hand of the shaft 32 of the cradle 28 is mounted a gear 75 which meshes with a gear segment 76 formed on a disk 77 )ivoted at the point 78 on the machine ramc. The disk 77 is pivotally connected at the point 79 (substantially opposite the gear segment 76) with the lower end of a link 80 the upper end of which is connected with the crank pin 81 projecting laterally from the rim of a. cam disk 82 mounted on the right hand end of the shaft 60. When the shaft 60 is operatively connected with the worm gear 59 a complete revolution is imparted to the pin 81, whereby the link 80 is raised to swing the cradle 28 up into the full line position indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 and is then lowered again to return the cradle into normal can receiving position, as indicated by the dotted .lines in Fig. 1. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the cam disk 82 has completed substantially one-half a revolution, thereby bringing the pin 81 to the uppermost point in its travel, which point corresponds with the can discharging position of the cradle 28. Such is the friction which the curved ends 84 of the sides 39 of the part 29 of the cradle 28 exert on the roundedportion.85 of the cans that a can does not slip out of the cradle onto the can run 15'until the cradle 28 is in substantially its ultimate upright position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. To prevent any possible accidental displacement of the can as the cradle 28 is swinging from the can receiving position into the can discharging position, I provide a finger 86 fixed on the shaft 87 journaled in bearings 88 fixed on.the front end of the machine frame. The finger 86 is so located that as thecradle 28 swings a can toward. the vertical, inverted position, the forward edge of the bottom of the can strikes the finger 86, whereby this end of the can is held back against the now uppermost part of the cradle. By reason of the frictional action exerted on the can by the inturned ends 84 of the can holding part 29 of the cradle, the can slides gradually and gently out of the cradle onto the can run 15, the path of travel of the tilting can being indicated by the dotted lines 89 and 90 (Fig. 5) and the final position of the can on the can run being indicated at 91.

As the cradle 28 and the can fill d with milk begin to turn on the axis of th shafts 31, 32, the milk pours out of the rear side of the mouth portion of the can and falls into the tank 92 built under the forward end of the can run 15 as indicated best in Fig. 1. The tank 92 is open at its upper side which is of such dimensions as to receive all the milk pouring out of the tilting can. The milk .is conveyed away through the pipe 93, swiveled at 95, and controlled to discharge into either side of a divided tank by means of a bracket 94; operated by the handle 96 connected at its lower end with the bracket 94 by the link 97. A drip plate 98 connected at its inturned ends with the inner ends of the shafts 31 and 32 directs the beginning of the stream of milk from the can into the forward end of the tank 92. As the cradle 28 and can swing upwardly into the can discharging position the stream of milk pouring out of the can clears the plate 98 and is directed toward the middle of the tank 92.

The series of valves (not shown) which control the injection of the washing fluid into the cans passing through the machine are operated by an oscillatory shaft 99 journaled on the uprights 10 and provided at its forward end with an arm 100 connected with the lower end of a link 101 the upper end of which is connected with the free end of a lever 102 pivoted at 103 on a bracket 104 on the forward side of the housing 53. The lever 102 carries a roll which travels in the cam path 105 formed in the cam disk 82. The driving mechanism actuates the cap and cover advancing means in timed relation with the actuations of the cradle 28 by means of a crank disk 106 carried by the lower end of a vertically arranged shaft 107 journaled in the bottom wall 108 of the housing 53 and in a bracket 109 mounted on the inner side of one of the side Walls thereof. The upper end of the shaft 107 carries a miter gear 110 which meshes with a miter gear 111 mounted on the shaft 60 and operatively connected therewith by means of the key 68 which passes freely through a key way in the gear 111. The crank disk 106 is connected by the link 112 with the arm 20, by which an oscillatory motion is imparted to the vertical shaft 19. The driving mechanism may also be employed to control a can uprighting and cover replacing mechanism located at the other end of the washing machine, and for this purpose an outwardly projecting arm 114.

of the disk 77 is connected by a link '115 to the forward end of a rod 116 which extends throughout the length of the machine and to which reciprocatory movements are imparted during the oscillation of the disk 77.

From the foregoing description it will be recognized that the operation of the can washing machine is controlled by the feeding of the filled cans 24 down the conveyor 35 onto the cradle 28. To cause the cans fed into the machine to move therethrough for the various operations when the supply of cans to the machine has stopped, the shaft 40 is provided with an upwardly extending handle 117. By manipulating the handle 117, that is, pulling it forward and down wardly as many times as there are cans in the machine, the operator will cause the cans in the machine to be advanced therethrough and be subjected to the successive washing operations.

The mode of operation of the improved can inverting device and of the can washing machine as effected by the can inverting device is as follows :The filled cans 24 (the covers having been removed) come down the inclined conveyor 35 and are successively received-by the cradle 28. As a can enters the cradle the forward side thereof contacts with the arm 39 and oscillates the shaft 40 to cause the bar 56 to be withdrawn from contact with the key 68 and permit the spring 71 to force the rear end of the key into the notch in the worm gear 59, thereby causing the cam disk 82 to revolve to oscillate the disk 77 in one direction to swing the cradle 28 upwardly to tilt the can to dump out its contents and to deposit the can on the forward end of the can run 15. These movements take place while the crank pin 81 is travelling from its lowermost to its upper most position. As the crank pin 81 returns to its lowermost position the disk 77 is oscillated in the opposite direction and the cradle 28 is returned to its can receiving position. The establishment of the driving connection between the gear 59 and the shaft 60 causes the crank disk 106 to move through a complete-rotation, during which the shaft 19 is oscillated to advance the can engaging fingers 16 and the correspondingcover engaging fingers and to retract them into their former position. As the foremost can engaging fingers 16 are moved they engage with and advance the can which was deposited on the receiving end of the can run 15 by the previous action of the cradle 28. Before the foremost fingers 16 return to their retracted position the next can has been deposited on the forward end of the can run and the foremost fingers 16 pass under the can, being pivotally mounted for this purpose, and then rise into can engaging position behind the can, as indicated in Fig. 5.

What T-claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is k 1. In a machine of the character described, a can inverting device comprising, a can suporting cradle, a shaft on which the cradle 1s mounted, a gear carried by the shaft, a second gear for actuating the first gear to rotate the shaft to tilt the cradle, a crank disk, a linkconnecting the second gear with the crank disk, a driving mechanism nor mally disconnected from the crank disk a clutch for operatively connecting the driving the can top side up, a driving mechanism arranged to actuate the cradle to invert the can but normally disconnected from the cradle, a clutch mechanism controlled by the deposit of a can on the cradle for connecting the driving mechanism 'With the cradle, a can run on which the cradle deposits the can bottom side up, and means actuated by the driving mechanism for advancing the can along the can run.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a can supporting cradle for receiving a can top side up, a can run, a driving mechanism for actuating the cradle to deposit the can on the can run bottom side up, said driving mechanism consisting of a shaft, a Worm gear mounted to rotate on the shaft, means for establishing a driving connection between the Worm gear and the shaft, means for turning the Worm gear constantly, a clutch mechanism operated by the deposit of a can on the cradle for controlling the driving connection between the Worm gear and the shaft, and means driven by the shaft for advancing the can along the can run.

WILLIAM E. MITTON. 

